The New Release DVD Kiosks Arrive on West Coast

DVD rental-kiosk company The New Release is expanding to the West Coast for the first time.

The company is installing 174 TNR-branded kiosks in three major new markets — California, Nevada and Arizona.

The new automated rental machines initially will be located in 75 selected Ralph's supermarkets and Food 4 Less stores in Southern California from Los Angeles to San Diego.

Another 90 sites are planned for other parts of the state later this year. TNR kiosks are widely dispersed throughout Southern California from Los Angeles, the San Fernando Valley, Riverside and Palm Springs to Orange County, Long Beach and San Diego.

TNR has also installed 26 rental kiosks in Arizona at Fry's stores throughout the Phoenix and Tucson areas, and 15 more at Food 4 Less locations in Las Vegas and Henderson, Nevada. All are owned and operated by TNR. An additional 91 kiosks are planned for Arizona this year.

“The Western United States is a huge market for us, and this phase is only the beginning of a major presence for TNR,” said Jeff Karbowiak, COO of TNR. “Our relationship with [grocery chain] Kroger has enabled us to enter these markets quickly with a substantial deployment of kiosks.”

The company's expansion plans for this year also include adding more than 50 kiosks in new territories Washington and Oregon.

Late last year TNR inked a commitment with leading grocery chain The Kroger Company to install TNR kiosks at an additional 1,300 locations by the end of the first quarter of 2007.

Following that agreement, the company rolled out kiosk expansions in the Dallas and Atlanta markets.

TNR executives have said the company plans to quadruple its 2006 installed base of rental kiosks by the end of 2007.